Rockies to offer De La Rosa arbitration

As expected, the Rockies will offer arbitration to free-agent pitchers Jorge De La Rosa and Octavio Dotel.

Rockies GM confirmed moments ago that the club will offer arbitration to De La Rosa, whose status as a Type A free agent would net the Rockies two draft choices if, as expected, he signs with another club.

Dotel, who joined the Rockies from the Dodgers in the pennant stretch, is a Type B free agent who would bring the Rockies on draft pick.

Offering De La Rosa arbitration figures to set the stage for his departure. O’Dowd hasn’t turned the page on re-signing him, but the Rockies aren’t budging from their refusal to offer more than three years and De La Rosa has a handful of teams that appear ready to offer four.

The list of teams that have shown interest in De La Rosa: the Orioles, Nationals, Pirates, Yankees and Rangers, who are bracing for Cliff Lee’s departure for the Bronx.

O’Dowd said he’s “working through the process” in searching for more pitching and hitting. The pitchers the Rockies are known to be pursuing include free agents Jon Garland, Javier Vazquez and Carl Pavano, and Gavin Floyd, whom the White Sox might consider trading.

O’Dowd also is working the phones in pursuit of an impact bat. The list of candidates there includes Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jermaine Dye, Andruw Jones and Jose Lopez. Another name to keep in mind: Magglio Ordonez, whose price could be reasonable and who may not return to Detroit now that the Tigers have agreed to terms with a handful of hitters, including free-agent catcher Victor Martinez.

How can the Rockies consider Carl Pavano as a potential replacement for DeLaRosa? The Yankees signed him to a big contract and he spent most of his time on the DL and pitched poorly when he wasn’t injured. One decent year doesn’t make him worth the gamble.

Smmokan161616

I’d like to see the Rockies go after Chris Young (of the Padres) AND someone like Scott Kazmir. Those two would fill in nicely.

jimbo

“One decent year doesn’t make him worth the gamble.”nnThe same can be said of De La Rosa.

Ryan13636

Pavano wouldn’t be bad, but none of those hitters are “impact bats” anymore. The Rockies need to find a way to put together a trade with the Rays, who have 6 good starting pitchers, and likely are looking to move BJ Upton because he is due a raise.

Jake

Or Aaron Cook

Nick Breezy

“Rockies looking into signing old used up bums. Nice”nnAs I recall, the Giants took a similar approach…

BobbyJohn

Maybe because Pavano has been more durable and pitched more innings the last two seasons than De la Rosa with about the same ERA and a better strikeout/walk ratio.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.